Thursday, September 21, 2006

French Illegal Immigrants

I was watching France 2 for an immigration report. Recently, a group of illegal immigrants were kicked out from an ancient university residency, and the prefecture offered them hotel rooms. Some of the immigrants didn't want to take this offer, instead they stay in a gym. So, the host of this program when to interview the leader of those immigrants who decided to stay in the gym then go to hotel.

Her comments shocked me. She said something like this:"The human fundamental right entitled us to immigrant to everyway around the world. Besides, Europe used to come to explore our resources in Africa and make themselves rich, and now is the time for them to pay back, and share their wealth with us. Because of these, the French government should give all of us right to stay in France."

I don't know how people can think this way, as if everybody can choose to stay in whatever country they want, the rich countries will be packed and face with social problems, until they become poor countries. Malaysia is the ex-colonial of Britain, and we don't think they owe us, it's just that we were weak at that time, so people bully us. It made us stronger so that this kind of bullying won't happy again.

The TV crew went to Mali, a country that have high immigrants to France. It showed that most of the people have hard time to find a job, and going to France is in the tradition, a ritual to "grow up". A woman standing with several young kids, pointed to two of the boys and said they will go to France, and pointed to the young girls and said they will be married to France. Since everybody is doing it, this kids grow up having one goal: Go to France and work, come back and build a house.

The program also talked about how Spain gives legal status to every immigrants in the country. The current spain government is from the left wing. It showed each week around 2500 immigrants coming by boat, and they then seek help from the government body. The government assigns social worker, who try to find contact for these people, and eventually buy them ticket to the city these people want. On the TV, a young social worker went to Madrid with this newcomer, and gave him 30 euros and left him. However, beginning this week, the government has stopped this policy, they are not giving away the permanent residency automatically anymore.

This week the Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy granted residency status to 7000 out of 30,000 families who came to France illegally. He said France will only allow those who are willing to integrate into the French sociaty to stay in France.

I personally think that the French government should help develop the poor African countries who have historical tie with France. The immigrants come to France because there are no hope in their own countries. If their countries can give them hope and a life, they would stay in their home countries. Also, the government can help build schools and Universities which allow these poor people to accept formal education, and eventually have a chance to come to France to contribute their know-how.

I hope that the illegal immigrants understand that they shouldn't abuse the social system. If everybody comes here hoping for right for free home, free welfare and not working, then they come to the wrong place. The government is not Santa Clause, the money come from the people who work hard and trying to earn a life. France simply has no ability to help every poor people in the world.